Ch 24 Ā· Lesson 16Spanish Ā· Chapter 24 Ā· Lesson 16 Ā· Grammar primer
The passive se: se venden casas
, : the verb agrees with the thing, nobody is named, and it is the everyday way round the passive.
The short version
Follow the agreement to tell the two
.
Why?Hide
Two constructions hide under the same little word, and agreement separates them. If a plural thing is pulling the verb into the plural, it is the passive : , . If nothing is, the impersonal stays stubbornly third-person singular: , . Never .
Both constructions put before a third-person verb and never say who does it. The difference is what the verb agrees with:
.- Houses for sale..- Life is good here.
The two se on one screen
| Passive se | Impersonal se | |
|---|---|---|
| Means | the thing gets done | one, you, people |
| The verb | agrees with the thing | always singular |
| Example | . | . |
| Another | . | . |
If a plural noun pulls the verb into the plural, it is the passive . If nothing does, it is the impersonal . On the AQA GCSE the impersonal is Foundation and Higher, the passive Higher.
Sentences with no subject at all, such as and , are a different thing: see impersonal verbs.
The passive se: the thing becomes the subject
The thing acted on becomes the subject, and the verb agrees with it like any verb with its subject:
| Number | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| one | . | A house for sale. |
| several | . | Houses for sale. |
| one | . | Spanish spoken. |
| several | . | Many languages are spoken. |
| one | . | The shop opens at nine. |
| several | . | The doors open at nine. |
Nobody is named: the houses just get sold. This is the on every shop window and small ad:
| English | Sign |
|---|---|
| For sale. | . |
| To let. | . |
| Waiter wanted. | . |
| English spoken. | . |
Why se beats the ser passive
The passive with ser is formal and comes into its own when a doer is named with . With nobody to name, Spanish reaches for :
| English | Formal (ser) | Everyday (se) |
|---|---|---|
| The house was sold. | vendida. | . |
| Houses are sold. | vendidas. | . |
So treat as the default, and as the formal exception.
Going further: The impersonal se: one, you, people and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
Practise this lesson
9-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
Spanish Ā· Free printables
Worksheets for this lesson
Worksheets with answer keys built in. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekLesson 16 of 26 in this chapter